“Daddy?”
Paul stiffened, the passion clearing at once and then he pulled away and hurried from the room.
Jeanne Louise sank back against the wall with a weak sigh. Damn. He’d snapped out of that in a hurry while she was still trembling and shaking like a cat who’d just had a brief dunking in a washing machine. The power of parenthood, she told herself, struggling not to be offended. The child was seriously ill, after all. Of course Paul would rush to her side rather than continue what he was doing. But damn, his head had cleared a hell of a lot quicker than hers.
Sighing, Jeanne Louise slipped her bra back into place, tugged her blouse shut, closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. The good news was she now knew for sure that Paul was her life mate. She’d not only never experienced passion as heavy and hot as that in her life, but they’d also definitely been experiencing the “shared passion” everyone spoke about. The passion merging and running back and forth between them, growing stronger with each pass until she’d thought she’d die if it wasn’t consummated.
And that was more good news, Jeanne Louise supposed, they’d been interrupted before she could experience the petite mort immortal style. Now she just had to see if Paul would be willing to be her life mate . . . and not just to save his daughter’s life.
Grimacing, she took another steadying breath and then straightened, grateful when she was able to stand on her own. Her legs were still a little shaky, but some water on her face and wrists would help with that, she was sure. They would also hopefully bring an end to the tremble in her hands so she could manage doing up her buttons. With that thought in mind, Jeanne Louise glanced around and then spotted the door at the end of the room beside the bed. Moving to it, she opened it, half expecting to find herself in a walk-in closet. Instead the door opened into a large bathroom in cream and Indian brown.
Eyebrows rising, Jeanne Louise entered, her gaze sliding over another open door to her right, this one to an attached walk-in closet. She peaked inside briefly, then turned to survey the bathroom, taking in the marble counter with his and hers sinks, the toilet, the large tub, a shower big enough for two and then the door to what appeared to be a sauna. Walking to it, she opened the door and glanced curiously inside.
Yep, a sauna.
Jeanne Louise eased the door closed and moved to the sinks to turn on the cold water. She’d splash some water on her face and arms and then go see how Livy was doing. She hadn’t sensed any pain in the girl’s voice when Livy had called out, and suspected the headache was gone, but it had been a couple hours since lunch and if they could get her to eat again it would only be a good thing. She would control her and have her eat as often as possible to help her rebuild her strength for the turn.
Not that Jeanne Louise was entirely sure things were going to work out. Yes, Paul was her life mate, and yes, she was pretty sure that he’d been seconds from tearing her clothes off, throwing her on the bed, and taking her to the petite mort, but that didn’t guarantee anything. The situation was a complicated one. It might all still crumble like a house of cards.
Sighing, Jeanne Louise turned off the taps and reached for the towel on the rack beside her to dry her face and hands. She then set it back and quickly did up her blouse before heading out in search of Paul and Livy.
Five
“I liked that horse,” Livy announced as her father stood and moved to the DVD player to eject the disc and put it away. “But I think I’d rather have a dragon like the black one, ’cause he was nice, wasn’t he, Jeanie?”
“Yes, he was, Livy,” Jeanne Louise agreed, smiling faintly. She had come out of the bathroom earlier to find Paul entering the bedroom with Livy in his arms. He’d settled the girl on the love seat, started the “dragon training” movie for her and then had asked Jeanne Louise if she’d mind sitting with Livy while he slipped away to fetch them some snacks.
She hadn’t minded at all. She’d settled on the love seat next to the girl, and found herself getting wrapped up in the movie herself. It wasn’t until Paul had returned with the drinks and popcorn that she’d pulled herself out of the movie at all, and then it was just enough to help Livy eat and drink and enjoy it.
They’d watched this second cartoon movie about Rapunzel afterward. That one had featured a rather intelligent and funny horse and they’d all laughed a great deal over the movie.
“I don’t know,” Paul said putting the DVD away. “I kind of liked the little salamander myself.”
“Ewww,” Livy said instinctively, then wrinkled her nose and said judiciously. “He was nice, but you can’t pet a salamander, Daddy.”
“Hmmm.” Paul straightened and then turned and raised an eyebrow at his daughter. “Another movie or are you ready for dinner?”
“I think I’m hungry,” Livy announced, sounding surprised, and then her eyes widened and her mouth formed an O.
“What?” Paul asked, smiling.
“Can we go to Chuck E. Cheese’s, Daddy?” she asked, slipping off the love seat where she’d been cuddled between Jeanne Louise and Paul for more than five hours. She nearly stepped on Boomer as she went, but the dog was quick about getting out of her way and yipped excitedly in response to her own obvious excitement. “I like Chuck E. Cheese’s. You’d like it too, Jeanne Louise. They have games and rides and—Oh it’s so fun!” She whirled back to her dad excitedly, Boomer dancing around her feet. “Please! We haven’t been there for a long time. Can we go?”
Paul stared at her, wide-eyed and obviously torn. Jeanne Louise could tell he wanted to say yes, but worry was making him hesitate. Whether it was worry for Livy or worry that Jeanne Louise might use it as an opportunity to leave, she didn’t know.
“How long has she been cooped up in the house?” she asked quietly.
His gaze slid to her, silent and solemn.
“And you’ve probably spent most of your time here with her,” Jeanne Louise commented. “I don’t think an outing to Chuck E. Cheese’s would be a bad thing. We could go, have pizza and then come back.”
Paul relaxed, getting the silent message she was trying to give him. She would return afterward with them. He nodded, murmuring, “Thank you,” and then glanced to Livy. “Chuck E. Cheese’s it is then.”
“Yay!” Livy did a little dance and then turned to grab Jeanne Louise’s hand to try to pull her off the love seat. “Come on. Let’s go before he changes his mind. You’re going to love Chuck E. Cheese’s. It’s so fun. And the pizza’s good too.”
Chuckling, Jeanne Louise stood and allowed the still chattering child to tug her from the room and toward the stairs, aware that Paul was following with Boomer on his heels. They headed right out to the car, pausing just long enough to let Boomer loose in the backyard before going.
“I haven’t seen her like this for quite a while,” Paul said quietly, his eyes following his daughter as she played with several other children in the play section. He smiled wryly. “I guess it’s only been weeks, but it feels like forever.”